EP0166947B1 - Web feeding mechanism - Google Patents

Web feeding mechanism Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0166947B1
EP0166947B1 EP85106380A EP85106380A EP0166947B1 EP 0166947 B1 EP0166947 B1 EP 0166947B1 EP 85106380 A EP85106380 A EP 85106380A EP 85106380 A EP85106380 A EP 85106380A EP 0166947 B1 EP0166947 B1 EP 0166947B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
web
shaft
pressure
rim
wheel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP85106380A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0166947A3 (en
EP0166947A2 (en
Inventor
Michael Kermit Bullock
Dennis Ray Hedrick
Richard Hayes Marvin
Edmund Hulin James Iii
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
International Business Machines Corp
Original Assignee
International Business Machines Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by International Business Machines Corp filed Critical International Business Machines Corp
Publication of EP0166947A2 publication Critical patent/EP0166947A2/en
Publication of EP0166947A3 publication Critical patent/EP0166947A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0166947B1 publication Critical patent/EP0166947B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J15/00—Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, specially adapted for supporting or handling copy material in continuous form, e.g. webs
    • B41J15/16—Means for tensioning or winding the web

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to apparatus of the type which includes an operating mechanism for performing operations on a web of material and in particular to the part of the apparatus which is used for feeding the web through the operating mechanism and for ensuring that the web is correctly aligned while it is being fed through the operating mechanism.
  • the invention has a particular application in printers.
  • Printers of known kind are provided with print mechanisms including print regions in which the printing operation is performed. Each such printer is supplied with a print medium on which the printing takes place.
  • the print medium is commonly paper and for convenience the paper is formed into a continuous web.
  • the web is fed through the print region of the printer by a suitable feeding mechanism. As the web is fed through the printer the print mechanism performs printing operations on the web. In order to ensure that the printing operations result in characters being printed in the correct positions on the paper it is essential that the paper be aligned correctly with the print mechanism throughout the printing operation.
  • tractor mechanisms as for instance disclosed in EP-A-0 061 635. These mechanisms include wheels formed with pins on their peripheries or pairs of wheels driving a belt formed with pins. The pins engage in holes formed in the web near the side edges of the web.
  • tractor mechanisms are driven by a suitable drive means and as the tractor wheels rotate or the belt moves the pins engage in successive holes in the web and feed the web through the printer.
  • the printer includes a platen in its print region where printing takes place.
  • the paper web is fed over the platen.
  • two tractors are located on the downstream side of the platen (in relation to the movement of the web) to draw the web through the print region over the platen during forward feed. It is necessary to ensure that the web is tensioned as it passes over the platen in order to ensure that printing takes place on a flat area of the web.
  • tensioners formed with spring biased arms which engage the surface of the web thereby retarding the movement of the web through the printer. These tensioners are located on the upstream side of the platen retarding the movement of the paper web as it is fed through the printer by the tractor mechanism. The tensioners thereby tension the web and ensure that the paper web is flat as it passes over the platen.
  • All the tractors include wheels or belts formed with pins which engage in holes in the web. These do not allow lateral movement of the web in the region of the tractors. If the web stretches or there is some misalignment between the upstream and downstream tractors the pins on the downstream tractors will try to position the web in one way and the pins on the upstream tractors will try to position the web in another way. As a result the web will be stressed and distorted and will not be correctly aligned in the print region.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for performing operations on a web having an operating mechanism and an improved web feeding mechanism for feeding a web past the operating mechanism which tensions the web as it passes the operating mechanism and allows for lateral alignment of the web with the operating mechanism under the control of only one part of the feeding mechanism.
  • the present invention relates to a web feeding mechanism for apparatus for performing operations on a web which includes a forward feed apparatus for feeding the web in the forward direction past an operating mechanism and located downstream of the operating mechanism and a web tensioning apparatus located upstream of the operating mechanism for tensioning the web as it is fed past the operating mechanism.
  • the tensioning apparatus includes at least one pair of pressure wheels which are rotatably mounted and abut against opposite surfaces of a web which is being fed by the forward feed apparatus. The rotation of at least one of the pressure wheels is restricted so as to exert a retarding force on the web as it passes between the pressure wheels and rotates the pressure wheels. This results in the web medium being tensioned.
  • each of the pressure wheels is flexible in the axial direction so as to permit lateral movement in the axial direction relative to the pressure wheels of the web as it passes between the pressure wheels. This allows the web to be aligned relative to the operating mechanism under the control of the forward feed apparatus only.
  • each pressure wheel is formed from a flexible disc having radially extending slots which divide the disc into segments.
  • Each segment can move axially relative to the adjacent segments.
  • the segment which is in contact with the web at any instant can move axially and this provides for lateral movement of the web.
  • the web feeding mechanism also includes means for rotating at least one of the pressure wheels in the reverse direction to provide for reverse feeding of the web.
  • this pressure wheel is rotated in the reverse direction to provide a first speed of movement of the web in the reverse direction
  • the forward feed apparatus is driven in the reverse direction to provide a second speed of movement of the web in the reverse direction which is less than the first speed of movement. Slippage is allowed to occur between each pressure wheel and the web so that the web is fed in the reverse direction at the second speed and each pressure wheel exerts a force on the web tending to move it faster than the second speed. As a result the web is tensioned during reverse feed.
  • the drive to the pressure wheel providing for rotation of the pressure wheel in the reverse direction includes a one way coupling so as to allow rotation of this pressure wheel for forward feed independently of this drive.
  • each pressure wheel is constructed so that, if a radial force is applied to the rim of the wheel, the wheel will deform radially without any axial deformation. This reduces the possibility of the pressure wheel distorting the web or damaging the surface of the web.
  • Apparatus in accordance with the invention has a particular application to a printer in which the operating mechanism of the invention is a print mechanism and the web is a web print medium.
  • a printer incorporating a print medium feeding mechanism arrangement in accordance with the invention includes a frame indicated diagrammatically at 1 on which are mounted a platen 2 and a print mechanism 3.
  • a print medium which is a continuous paper web 4 extends through the region 5 between the platen 2 and the print mechanism 3 which is known as the print region so that printing operations can be performed on the .medium using the print mechanism.
  • the web 4 is fed through the print region 5 by means of two tractors 6, 7 which will be described in more detail below.
  • the print mechanism 3 includes a bank of hammers 8 extending along the print region 5 parallel to the platen 2'and a flexible metal band 9 in the form of a continuous loop and on which are mounted print elements.
  • the band 9 passes around a drive wheel 10 and a guide member 11 and is driven through the print region by the drive wheel 10.
  • an ink ribbon 12 which is supplied from a cartridge 13 formed with two arms 14, 15 which support the ribbon in the print region 5.
  • the metal band 9 moves continuously through the print region and operation of the hammers 8 in the hammer mechanism causes selected print elements on the band 9 to be pressed against the ribbon 12.
  • the ribbon 12 is thereby pressed against the print medium causing print operations to take place.
  • This method of operation is described in European Patent Specification EP-A-36970 and will not be described in greater detail here.
  • each of the tractors 6, 7 includes a wheel 16 on the periphery of which are formed pins 17 and which is mounted on a shaft 21.
  • each of the tractors could consist of a pair of wheels driving a belt formed with pins 17.
  • the pins 17 engage in holes 19 formed near the outer edges of the paper web 4.
  • the shaft 21 is rotated by a drive mechanism to be described in greater detail below and, as the wheels 16 are rotated and the pins 17 engage in successive holes 19, the web 4 is fed upwardly through through the print region 5 as viewed in Figures 1 and 3 and as indicated by the arrow.
  • each pair 22 of pressure wheels comprises a front pressure wheel 23 and a rear pressure wheel 24.
  • the front pressure wheels 23 are all mounted on an idler shaft 25 and the rear pressure wheels 24 are all mounted on a drive shaft 26.
  • the idler shaft 25 is supported in a plurality of bearings 27 attached to the frame 1.
  • Each bearing comprises a housing in two halves 28, 29 joined together by two bolts 30.
  • One half 28 is formed with a bearing surface 31 which supports the shaft 25.
  • the other half 29 is formed with a recess 32 in which is located a spring member 33.
  • the spring member 33 is pressed against the surface of the shaft 25 and forces the shaft 25 against the bearing surface 31.
  • the spring member 33 also exerts a braking force on the shaft due to the friction between the spring member 33 and the surface of the shaft 25.
  • the drive shaft 26 is also supported in a plurality of suitable bearings 34 of conventional type attached to the frame 1.
  • the pressure wheel pairs 22 are located so that the front pressure wheels 23 engage with the front surface of the paper web 4 and the rear pressure wheels 24 engage with the rear surface of the web.
  • the bearings 27, 34 for the shafts 25, 26 are located in such positions that the pressure wheels 23, 24 of each pair 22 are pressed together so that they can clamp the paper web 4 between them.
  • a pulley 37 is connected to the end of the shaft 21 on which are mounted the tractor wheels 16.
  • Another pulley 38 is attached to a one way clutch device 39 mounted on the end of the shaft 26 on which are also mounted the rear pressure wheels 24.
  • the one way clutch device 39 is illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7. It includes an outer ring member 41 attached to pulley 38 and formed on its inner surface with a series of projections 42 each having an inclined surface 43. Located in the recesses 45 formed between these projections are a set of rollers 44.
  • each of the rollers 44 will tend to move outwardly down the inclined surface 43 of the recess 45 in which it lies so that it moves out of contact with the surface of the shaft 26 as illustrated in Figure 7. As a result there will be no positive coupling between the shaft 26 and the outer ring member 41 and the shaft 26 will continue to rotate.
  • the pressure wheel pairs 22 are arranged to provide a dragging force on the web 4 as it is fed by the tractors 6, 7 up through the print region 5 as follows.
  • a drive motor 51 mounted on the frame 1 of the printer is provided with a drive shaft 52 on which is mounted a further pulley 53.
  • a drive belt 54 extends around the pulleys 37, 38 and 53 and rotation of the motor 51 causes rotation of the shafts 52 and 21 and corresponding rotation of the tractor wheels 16, together with rotation of outer ring member 41.
  • the pressure wheels 23 will be rotated by the web as it moves and, since there is a braking force exerted on the pressure wheels 23, a dragging force will be exerted on the web resulting in the web being tensioned. This will ensure that the web is flat as it passes through the print region 5. This flatness is necessary to ensure that printing by the print mechanism 3 takes place correctly.
  • the tractors 6, 7 can be moved laterally relative to the direction of movement of the web so as to position the web as required relative to the print mechanism 3.
  • the paper web 4 is supplied from a box 58 located below the printer as illustrated in Figure 8 which is a diagrammatic front view of the printer illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
  • Figure 8 is a diagrammatic front view of the printer illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
  • the paper web 4 is drawn up from the box 58 into the bottom of the printer, up through the print mechanism 3 and out of the top of the printer by the action of the tractors 6, 7.
  • the upper end of the web is under the control of the tractors 6, 7 and its lateral position within the printer and relative to the print mechanism 3 will be dependent on the positions of the tractors 6, 7.
  • the portion of the web 4 which is emerging from the box 58 at any instant may not be aligned accurately with the print mechanism 3 and the upper end of the web which is passing through the tractors at that instant.
  • the pressure wheels 23, 24 are constructed in a special way in order to allow for this lateral movement.
  • FIG. 9 is a view of one the wheels 23.
  • Each wheel 24 is constructed in the same way as each wheel 23.
  • the wheel 23 is formed with a hub 61, having a central hole 62, through which extends shaft 25, and an outer rim 63. Between the hub 61 and the outer rim 63 extends a disc portion 64 which is formed with a plurality of radial slots 65.
  • Figure 10 which is a side view of the wheel 23 as illustrated in Figure 9 sectioned on the line A-A, the disc portion 64 is not flat but is formed from two annular members 66, 67 which meet at an annular joint 68.
  • Each of the annular members 66, 67 is dished and, as seen in Figure 10, the annular members are positioned so that, in cross section, the two annular members extend at an angle relative to each other and to the axis of the wheel 23.
  • the outer edge of annular member 66 joins with the rim 63 and the inner edge of annular member 67 joins with the hub 61. It will also be seen that the rim 63 extends accurately axially of the wheel.
  • the radial slots 65 extend through the rim 63 and through most of the length of the relatively inclined annular members 66, 67 so as to define a plurality of radial segments 69. Each slot 65 has a finite width and therefore there is a small space between adjacent segments 69.
  • the wheel 23 is made of a flexible polymer material so that the segments 69 can move relative to each other in an axial direction. A small amount of relative movement in the circumferential direction is permitted between adjacent segments 69 in view of the spaces between adjacent segments formed by the slots 65. If a radial force is applied to part of the rim 63 as indicated by the arrow 8 in Figure 10, this radial force will be transmitted to the annular members 66, 67.
  • annular members 66, 67 Since the radially inner end of the annular member 67 is fixed to the hub 61, the annular members 66, 67 will flex and effectively pivot about the elbow joint 68 coupling the two annular members and about the junction points with the hub 61 and the rim 63 so that the two annular members 66, 67 will move relative to each other and allow the rim 63 to move radially inwardly with resultant deformation of the wheel.
  • the annular members 66, 67 are so dimensioned that when they move relative to each other under the action of a radial force, pivoting as described, the rim 63 will move accurately radially without any component of movement in the axial direction. Therefore it will be appreciated that the construction of the pressure wheel 23 allows movement of each part of the rim 63 in a radial direction only under the action of a radial force.
  • This axial movement of this segment will affect the dragging force exerted on the web by this segment, but the next segment coming into contact with the web will be in its normal axial position and the dragging force applied to the web by this segment will be normal.
  • the wheel pairs 22 therefore allow for lateral movement of the web to provide for alignment under the control of the tractors 6, 7 without appreciably affecting the dragging force applied by the wheel pairs to the web. The tension in the web provided by this dragging force is therefore maintained.
  • the relative sizes of the diameters of the pulleys 37, 38 and of the diameters of the tractor wheels 16 and the pressure wheels 23, 24 are selected so that the speed of feed provided by the pressure wheels 23, 24 is slightly greater than the speed of feed provided by the tractor wheels 16.
  • Each of the segments 69 of the pressure wheels can move slightly in a circumferential direction relative to the adjacent segments.
  • Each pressure wheel tries to feed the portion of the web with which it is in contact at the faster first speed. This is opposed by the tractor wheels 16 trying to feed the web at the slower second speed.
  • the segment of the pressure wheel which is in contact with the web deflects circumferentially and, in doing so, exerts a forward force on the web. This forward force is exerted until the pressure wheel rotates far enough so that the segment is no longer in contact with the web. At this instant the forward force is interrupted and the web is fed solely by the tractor wheels 16.
  • the pressure wheel continues to rotate and eventually contact with the web is made by the next segment and the process is repeated.
  • the reverse feed operation described also provides for the paper web to be returned to the normal printing position after part of the web has been torn off along a set of perforations extending across the width of the web as indicated at 59 in Figure 8. If printing has taken place on a portion of the web and it is required to tear off this printed portion, the web will need to be fed in the forward direction until the next set of perforations after the printed portion appear outside the printer, well beyond the tractors 6, 7. The printed portion can then be torn off without disengaging the feed provided by the tractors. After the tearing off operation has been completed the paper web can be fed in the reverse direction until the leading edge of the paper web is located just beyond the tractors. Normal forward feeding and printing operations can then be resumed.
  • the pressure wheels 23, 24 are carefully designed to provide the following characteristics:
  • each of the pressure wheels. 23, 24 was constructed from thermoplastic rubber Grade 203-40 or 103-40 known by the Trade Name Santoprene and was formed with eight equally spaced radial slots 65 defining eight segments 69 and had the following approximate dimensions referring to Figure 10:

Landscapes

  • Advancing Webs (AREA)
  • Handling Of Sheets (AREA)
  • Handling Of Continuous Sheets Of Paper (AREA)
  • Delivering By Means Of Belts And Rollers (AREA)
  • Registering, Tensioning, Guiding Webs, And Rollers Therefor (AREA)
EP85106380A 1984-07-02 1985-05-24 Web feeding mechanism Expired EP0166947B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US627303 1984-07-02
US06/627,303 US4621756A (en) 1984-07-02 1984-07-02 Web feeding mechanism

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0166947A2 EP0166947A2 (en) 1986-01-08
EP0166947A3 EP0166947A3 (en) 1986-06-04
EP0166947B1 true EP0166947B1 (en) 1988-08-17

Family

ID=24514095

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP85106380A Expired EP0166947B1 (en) 1984-07-02 1985-05-24 Web feeding mechanism

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US4621756A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
EP (1) EP0166947B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS6123063A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
AU (1) AU4425785A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BR (1) BR8502908A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CA (1) CA1229632A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE3564393D1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
ES (1) ES8700605A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA1251156A (en) * 1984-04-11 1989-03-14 Leo J. Emenaker Color printer
JPS638957U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1986-07-04 1988-01-21
DE3883726T2 (de) * 1987-12-09 1993-12-16 Shinko Electric Co Ltd Nach dem Übertragungsprinzip arbeitender Thermo-Farbdrucker.
DE3744107A1 (de) * 1987-12-24 1989-07-06 Bielomatik Leuze & Co Einrichtung zur herstellung von querlinien an materialbahnen
DK315288A (da) * 1988-06-09 1989-12-10 Fondet Til Fremme Af Teknisk O Apparat til udskrivning af check
JP3018396B2 (ja) * 1990-05-25 2000-03-13 日立工機株式会社 ドットラインプリンタ
US20120024671A1 (en) * 2010-07-30 2012-02-02 Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Transferring mechanism of contact test
CN116534630B (zh) * 2023-07-07 2023-09-08 新乡市腾飞纸业有限公司 一种纸张收卷装置

Family Cites Families (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3180548A (en) * 1962-10-23 1965-04-27 Schlumberger Well Surv Corp Film tensioning apparatus
US3285484A (en) * 1964-12-11 1966-11-15 Leeds & Northrup Co Tensioning device for recorder chart paper
GB1050060A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1965-03-12
US3420158A (en) * 1967-01-31 1969-01-07 Signode Corp Strap feed and tensioning mechanism
US3586149A (en) * 1969-02-07 1971-06-22 Data Products Co Web tensioning apparatus
BE759395A (fr) * 1969-11-26 1971-04-30 Ampex Organe de pression pour dispositif d'entrainement de bande magnetique
US3800992A (en) * 1973-06-27 1974-04-02 Minolta Camera Kk Apparatus for feeding elongated document to electro-photographic copier
US3980207A (en) * 1974-12-19 1976-09-14 Mario Maccaferri Pinch rollers
JPS5848600Y2 (ja) * 1978-07-15 1983-11-07 日本特殊陶業株式会社 チエツク回路付の排気浄化装置用過熱警報装置
US4221480A (en) * 1979-02-28 1980-09-09 Xerox Corporation Belt support and control system
JPS571150A (en) * 1980-05-30 1982-01-06 Koyo Jidoki High speed feeder
JPS5747174U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1980-08-30 1982-03-16
DE3112354C2 (de) * 1981-03-28 1983-01-13 Kienzle Apparate Gmbh, 7730 Villingen-Schwenningen Antriebseinrichtung für endlose Formularbahnen mit Randperforationen
US4428284A (en) * 1981-12-28 1984-01-31 International Business Machines Corp. Band and hammer dot matrix printer
JPS592873A (ja) * 1982-06-29 1984-01-09 Fujitsu Ltd プリンタの用紙送り機構

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0166947A3 (en) 1986-06-04
JPH0158100B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1989-12-08
JPS6123063A (ja) 1986-01-31
ES8700605A1 (es) 1986-10-16
BR8502908A (pt) 1986-03-04
AU4425785A (en) 1986-01-09
DE3564393D1 (en) 1988-09-22
US4621756A (en) 1986-11-11
CA1229632A (en) 1987-11-24
EP0166947A2 (en) 1986-01-08
ES543377A0 (es) 1986-10-16

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